Filing system



April 30, 1946. 5 J QHARA 2,399,376

FILING SYSTEM Filed NOV. 29, 1944 Patented Apr. 30, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFICE 2,399,376 FILING SYSTEM Stephen]. OHara, Oakland, Calif.

Application November 29, 1944, Serial No. 565,703

4 Claims.

This invention, a filing system and means for filing papers and documents of all kinds, particularly business, legal and similar forms, is an improvement over conventional filing systems in that, though only a single securing member or filing post is used, papers of any and all sizes and weights can be filed together with the assurance that alignment of the various papers and sheets will be maintained; any of the papers can be removed or replaced at will without disturbing other papers; and, because of the reinforcement of the paper about its securing area, papers are not readily damaged and will maintain their positions in the file.

The system and means is applicable to all types of documents and papers, such as letters and copies, invoices, statements or any other type of paper or document within the limits of the covers, because punching and reinforcing can be carried out after the paper or document has been written, filled in, or otherwise completed.

In conventional filing systems, two or more filing posts are used to keep the papers in line, and obviously, because of the spacing of the posts, any papers which are shorterthan the distance between two posts cannot be maintained in alignment with the other papers in the file.

Because of the unusual shape of my filing post and of the reinforced tab on the paper, all papers will be maintained in alignment regardless of their size or weight.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows: 1

First, to provide a new method of preparing papers for filing which will assure maintenance of position when used in connection with a single filing post.

Second, to provide a system as outlined in which a special tab is formed on any paper to cooperate with a new form of filing post and functioning to retain the sheet in a substantially fixed positionin a file. v

Third, to provide a sheet prepared to cooperate with a single filing post and which sheet can be removed or replaced at will without disturbing other sheets in the same file.

Fourth, to provide a filing system and means which is simple in construction and operation, economical to manufacture, and consisting of a minimum number of parts, applicable to conventional letter folders or binder covers, and which permits insertions and removals without disturbing other sheets in the same file or binder.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description is read on the drawing forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view showing the simplest form of binder with my invention applied thereto, andshowing sheets of different lengths filed therein, through the use of a single filing pos Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on line 33 of Fig. 1 with the sheets omitted.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the filing post.

Fig. 5 is-an enlarged view of one of theedges of a sheet of paper showing the reinforcement and the entrance slit,'and corresponding to a viewfrom line 5-5 of Fig. 1.-

Fig. 6 is an. enlarged sectional view through the filingpost'and showing the relation between paper and filing post during filing or removal.

Fig. '7 isa section taken through a portion of a conventional letter file with my invention applied thereto, and is taken on a line 1-! of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of one hinge corner of a letter file withmy invention applied thereto.

The invention consists essentially of a holding or securing member comprising mainly a thin fiat member of substantial width but preferably of an L-shape or channel or modified channel cross-section having one straight leg with the other leg and the web formed as a continuous curve for ease of insertion and removal ofpapers therefrom, and a slot formed to fit the fiat member or straight leg, or of the, same form as the cross-section of the member and located within the body of the material to be filed, near one edge, andlwith a slit extending from the slot through the adjacent edge of the material to permit'removal and replacement of the sheets of material transversely from and onto the securing member, with the portion of the sheet of material in which the slot is formed being reinforced to keep the sheets straight in a hinder or file irrespective of the size of the sheet.

The invention is illustrated in connection with both, a loose-leaf binder, and a conventional letter file. The binder is illustrated in its simrigid member I2 and the bottom cover I3 in spaced relation.

The filing post I6 is shown as having a straight leg IT with the other leg and web l8 formed arcuately throughout their combined length. Obviously this filing post may be L-shaped or channel shaped in cross-section, though only illustrated in its preferred form.

This filing post It; may be secured in position in any suitable manner and is shown as secured at one end in a recess l9 formed in the bottom cover and with the upper end freely fitting in a recess 20 in the top cover ID to prevent sheets from sliding off over the top of the post.

The sheets or documents can be preformed, or special apparatus (not shown) may be used. for forming the required filing slot or passage and for reinforcing the area about the slot, in any sheet of paper or other material to be filed.

The filing slot is preferably formed in the upper left-hand corner of the sheet as indicated in Fig. 1, though it can as readily be locatedcentraily of the length of the sheet, and consists preferably of a modified U-shaped slot formed in the sheet and with a slit extending from the base of the slot to the edge of the paper with one leg of the slot extending from the inner end of the slit in an upward arcuate curve 22, and the other leg 23 of the slot extending upward about the same distance as the arcuate leg and from'the point of juncture of the slit 2| and leg 22, thereby forming a tab 24 to fit closely within the body of the filing post 16, with one side 25 straight and the lower edge and other side curved as shown at 26, so that the straight leg ll of the filing post 28, causing the straight leg I! to be virtually of paper, letter, statement, or document, irrespective of its size, and in sequence as they become ready for filing, somewhat as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in which sheets 30, 3| and 32 of different lengths are shown. This makes the filing system practically universal, requiring only a single file for all sizes of papers to be filed.

As previously pointed out, this invention is equally applicable to binders or ordinary folders as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 on an exaggerated scale, and in which the regulation folder is indicated at 33 with its folded back 34 and with the invention mounted therein at 35, for which purpose ears 36 are formed at the respective ends of the filing post, with the ears passing through the folder covers and being bent over to secure the post in position. This filing post can be made of relatively thin material, so that, when made to different lengths, a suitable length can be mounted in the folder, and if it becomes too short for the material filed, it can be removed and a longer post installed.

A sheet is filed by first turning the sheet at right angles to the position it is to occupy in the 'binder, then advancing and turning the sheet until the tab 2 is located within the body of the binding post I6, the sheet being advanced from the position shown in Fig. 6, which advance flexes the tab 28 which snaps around the outside of the straight leg as the sheet is turned to its normal position in the file as illustrated in Fig. 1. Sheets are removed by merely turning the sheet out and withdrawing.

I claim:

1. A loose-leaf assembly comprising; a sheet having formed in one side thereof a slit extendi from the edge of the sheet and terminating in a curved slot, and a branch'slot extending from the point of juncture of said slit with said curved slot, and a filing post having a crosssectional form fitting in said curved and branch slots.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1; and a reinforcement applied throughout the area in which said slots are formed and including the immediate surrounding areas.

3. A loose-leaf assembly comprising a sheet having two adjacent tabs one of which extends to the edge of the sheet and a reinforcement for said tabs; and a binding post of substantially channel shape to fit about the other tab and with one leg secured between the two tabs.

4. A loose-leaf sheet having a slot formed inwardly from one edge and continuing in an upwardlycurved slot, and a branch slot formed from said first-mentioned slot at the point of curvature and extending upwardly to approximately the height of said first-mentioned curved slot, to form a tab between said upwardly curved and branch slots receivable in a filing post of similar shape.

STEPHEN J. OHARA. 

